Railroad-track bed



O. G. NEWSOM. RAILROAD TRACK BED.

(No Model.)

No. 574,106. Patented em-29, 1896.

Orlando 1%; @Aflompys Wiigzsses UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ORLANDO C. NEWSOM, OF DANVILLE, INDIANA.

RAILROAD-TRACK BED.

SPECIFICATION'forming part of Letters Patent No. 574,106fdated December 29, 1896.

Application filed April 25, 1896.

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ORLANDO C. NEwsoM, a citizen of the United States, residing at Danville, in the county of Hendricks and State of Indiana, have invented a new and useful Railroad-Track Bed, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in track-beds for railroads; and it has for its object to simplify such railroad-beds, whereby the same may be rendered safer, more permanent, and less liable to washouts, and also to embody in the construction of the same improved means for preventing spreading of the rails.

To this end the invention consists, substantially, in the construction, combination, and arrangement of parts, as will be hereinafter fully illustrated, described, and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a section of railroad-bed constructed in accordance with the present invention. Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the same. Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view thereof taken through one of the tie-rods.

Fig. 4 is a detail perspective view of one of the clamping-nuts.

Similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout the figures.

Referring to the drawings, 1 designates the rails of the track, which may be of any desired form and material and mounted upon longitudinal sleepers 2. These sleepers are preferably constructed of wood and are provided at their upper faces with notches 3, the object of which will presently appear.

For securely holding the rails l at any desired gage, and to prevent spreading of the same, tie-rods 4 are employed. These tierods at one of their ends are provided with right and left hand threads, the right-hand thread-s being cut on the extreme outer portion thereof. The other ends are similarly threaded, but in this case the left-hand threads are at the extreme outer portion, and mounted upon the right-hand threads of the rods are clamping-nuts 5, the left-hand threads being also provided with clamping-nuts 6, andthe opposing faces of said nuts 5 and 6, on each end of the tie-rods, have grooves 7, adapted to receive the base-flange of the track-rails 1 and hold the same therein. It will be noted Serial No. 589,097. (No model.)

that the threads upon which the inner clamping-nuts 5 and 6 are'screwed are of greater diameter than the main portion of the rods 4 and the outer threads are of less diameter than said main portion. is to permit the inner clamping-nuts being easily passed over said extreme threads and into a central position 011 the rods 4 should it be desired to so locate such clamping-nuts preparatory to applying said rods to the trackrails'.

The track-rails 1 may be spiked to the sleepers 2 in the usual manner, and for further assisting in retaining the rails thereon any of the tie-rods et at suitable intervals along the track-bed may have the inner and outer threads extended in order to:accom1no date additional cla1npingn1rts 8. which nuts are adapted to embrace the sides of the sleepers 2 and thus prevent the same sliding away from the track-rails.

From the foregoing the advantages of my to those skilled in the art. In order to construct the same, it is simply necessary to .place the sleepers 2 in a suitable position and mount the track-rails thereon. The tie-rods l are then passed under the rails and into the notches 3, the inner clamping-nuts 5 and 6 having been screwed thereon and slid to a central position between the ends of the same. The outer clamping-nuts 5 and 6 are screwed upon the extreme threads, and all of said nuts 5 and 6 are caused to assume a position by which the grooves 7 may be opposite to the base-flange of the rails. By the aid of tongs or any other suitable means the tie-rods 4: are rotated, through which operation the clamping-nuts 5 and 6 ateach end thereof will be forced toward each other and embrace said base-flanges. The track-rails may then be spiked to the sleepers 2, and the additional clamping-nuts 8, by reason of the rotation of said tie-rods at when closing the clamping-nuts 5 and 6, will also be closed upon the sides of the sleepers 2 and thereby hold the same in conjunction with the spikes.

While I have described the sleepers 2 as constructed of Wood, it will be obvious that I may employ stone sleepers with equally as good results, in which case the spikes will be omitted, the clamping-nuts 8 being sufficient herein-described track-bed will be apparent The purpose of this to hold the rails thereon. A railroad-bed constructed in accordance with this in vention will be safer than the ordinary construction as heretofore in use, wherein the ties are arranged transversely of the rails, and from the fact that the sleepers are disposed longitudinally of the track-rails it will also be evident that the same are more permanent and less liable to be affected by Washouts. Furthermore, the bed is stronger and more substantial, presenting a neat appearance and being rendered more easy of repair than in the former style, and spreading of the track-rails by means of the tie-rods at Will be effectually I5 prevented.

From the peculiar arrangement of the clamping-nuts 5, 6, and 8 it Will be seen that rotation of the tie-rods at in one direction-Will cause said nuts to be secured upon the parts they are designed to embrace, while a reverse rotation of said rods Will simultaneously loose-11 all the nuts. It is also apparent that my improved track-bed may be used either uponstreet-railways or on the ordinary steam- 2 5 roads.

Having thus described the invention, what isclaimed as new, and desired to be secured byLetters Patent, is

1..In a track-bed, the rails, sleepers dis- 0 posed beneath said rails and adapted to support the'same, said sleepers having notches formed therein, tie-rods connecting said rails, and oppositely-adjustable clamping-nuts for embracing the rails, said nuts being mounted 5 on-each en d of said tie-rods and adapted to be disposed in the notches of the sleepers, substanti-ally as set forth.

2. In atrack-bed, the rails, sleepers disposed beneath said rails andlongitudinally 40 thereof, tie-rods connecting the rails and provided at each of their ends with right and left hand screw-threads, and clamping-nuts mounted-on said screw-threads and adapted to embracethe-rails,substantially as set forth.

3. In a track-bed, the rails, sleepers disposed beneath said rails and longitudinally thereof, tie-rods connecting said rails and provided at each of their ends with right and left hand screw-threads, the outer threads being of a less diameter than theinner threads, and clamping-nuts provided with grooves adapted to receive the bottom flanges of the rails and hold the same therein, substantially as set forth.

4. In a track-bed, the rails, sleepers disposed beneath said rails and longitudinally thereof, tie-rods connecting said rails and provided at each of their ends With right and lefthand screw-threads, the threads at one end'being reversely arranged to the threads of the other end, a series of clampingqiuts mounted on said threads and adapted to embrace the rails, anda series of clamping-nuts also mounted on said tie-rods and adapted to embrace the sides of the sleepers to hold the rails thereon, substantially as set forth.

5. In a track-bed, a tie-rod having right and left hand screw-threads at each of its ends, the threads at one end being reversely arranged to the threads of the other end,and clamping-nuts mounted 011 said threads and provided with grooves, said grooves being adapted to receive the rails and hold the same, substantially asset forth.

6. In a track-bed, a tie-rod having right and left hand screw-threads at each of its ends, the threads at one end being reversely arranged to the threads of the other-end, a series of clamping-nuts mounted on said threads and adapted to embrace the rails, and a series of'clamping-nuts also mounted on said threads and adapted to embrace the sleepers to hold the rails thereon, substantially as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affi-Xed my signature in the'presence of two witnesses.

ORLANDO O. NEWSOM. Witnesses:

A. L. SYMONS, A. T. NEWsoM. 

